Year: 2026

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has assured the International Monetary Fund that it will abolish the existing Rs140 billion gas cross-subsidy mechanism for protected and certain non-protected consumers by January 2027, replacing it with a targeted subsidy system linked to household income under the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP). Senior officials from the Petroleum Division said the transition forms part of a structural benchmark agreed under Pakistan’s IMF programme and must be completed within the specified timeline. Under the proposed framework, subsidised gas tariffs based on consumption slabs will be discontinued. Instead, all…

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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s once high-profile investment platform, the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), has reportedly not held a formal Apex Committee meeting since January 2, 2025, sparking concerns over the slowing momentum of the country’s flagship foreign investment initiative. The 11th Apex Committee meeting, chaired by Shehbaz Sharif and attended by senior civilian and military leadership, had reviewed the council’s performance and outlined investment priorities for 2025. Since then, the SIFC’s top decision-making forum — originally promoted as a fast-track “one-window” platform for strategic investments — has remained largely inactive in…

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LAHORE: Federal Minister for Energy (Power Division) Awais Leghari on Tuesday announced that Pakistan will not establish any new imported fuel-based Independent Power Producers (IPPs), as the government moves toward a more sustainable and cost-effective energy mix. Speaking at a workshop on power-sector fundamentals at Lahore University of Management Sciences, the minister also revealed that the government plans to shift around 10 million electricity consumers to Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) meters during the current year to improve efficiency, transparency, and power management. Leghari said the government had already renegotiated agreements…

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ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday directed authorities to prepare a comprehensive national roadmap for generating electricity from solid waste as part of the government’s broader strategy to modernise waste management systems and promote renewable energy solutions. Chairing a high-level meeting on solid waste management, the prime minister ordered the formation of a dedicated task force to develop detailed proposals for converting municipal and industrial waste into electricity using modern technologies and international best practices. The initiative, according to the prime minister, will be implemented across Pakistan in collaboration…

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LEATHERHEAD, UK: The global post-consumer recycled (PCR) packaging market is projected to grow from 4.9 million tonnes in 2026 to 6.5 million tonnes by 2031, according to a new report released by Smithers. In its latest study, The Future of PCR Packaging to 2031, Smithers forecasts the market to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.7 percent between 2026 and 2031, driven by tightening sustainability regulations and increasing demand for recycled materials in packaging applications. The report highlights Europe as the most mature and fastest-growing market, supported…

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